Honoring McMurry Alumni McMurry University honored seven alumni for excellence in their professional careers at the Annual Night of Distinction dinner on April 22. The Distinguished Alumni Award and Young Alumni Achievement Award are the highest honors bestowed on alumni from McMurry and are presented to individuals who have showcased exemplary service and accomplishment in their professional careers and communities. Five alumni were also recognized with Outstanding Alumni Awards in their professional fields. “It is always an honor to showcase our outstanding alumni,” says McMurry President Dr. Sandra S. Harper. “McMurry has produced influential leaders who have made a significant difference in their communities and industries, and we’re proud to showcase excellence.” “McMurry University has so many amazing alumni, and the Alumni Awards are the perfect opportunity to celebrate the strengths of our alumni community,” says Katelyn Scott ‘97, director for alumni engagement. “It’s an honor to recognize their achievements, their service to the University, and the difference they make in the world. Each honoree is an inspiration and a wonderful example of what one can achieve with a degree from McMurry University as their foundation.” McMurry graduates are nominated
each year by faculty, staff, and alumni.
This year’s honorees represent
McMurry’s best servant leaders.
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ALUMNI AWARDS
The Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 1971 by the McMurry Alumni Association to recognize alumni who have made a significant contribution through achievement and service to their profession, society, and McMurry. Previous distinguished alumni award recipients include Mary Esther Bynum, C. Girvin Harkins, K.O. Long, Art Pertile, III, the Honorable Jorge Solis, Bishop Dan Solomon, Grant Teaff, Shirley Ann Wagley, and Sarah Ragle Weddington. Terry Wheeler ’85 is the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Wheeler, an Abilene native, has excelled in business, focusing primarily on health-care management leadership and strategy engagements. He is the retired CEO of Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital, where he worked for 14 years. As CEO, he implemented a multi-year turnaround program, including a $60 million campaign to fund a 12-bed ICU, a 25-bed NICU, a new open-heart program, an expansion of the Emergency Department, upgraded imaging services, a designation as a Level 3 Trauma Center, and an Accredited Stroke and Chest Pain Center. Wheeler received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1986. McMurry established the Young Outstanding Alumni Award in
2011 to recognize alumni who have graduated in the last 20 years, excelled in their professions, and served their communities and McMurry. Previous
outstanding young alumni include Shannon Sedgwick Davis, Shaun Martin, and Chris N. Montoya.
Officer Matthew Armbruster ‘06 was honored with the Young Alumni
Achievement Award for 2022. In 2020, Armbruster
was named the Abilene Police Department’s Officer
of the Year after actions taken during SWAT callouts
and resuscitating an injured child. Armbruster is also assigned as an assistant entry team leader to the
department’s SWAT team and Bomb Squad. He is also certified in Dignitary Protection and has been a part
of security details for multiple United States Presidents and their families, as well as other heads of state. He
received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice while dually enrolled at McMurry and Hardin Simmons
University in 2006.
